The Ultimate Scandal
by Callie Osgood
Summary: The road of Private forks into two. The road in which Ariana kills Thomas, and the road in which she didn't. Kate Brian writes of Ariana killing Thomas. But what if it was Reed?
1. Justified

Disclaimer: I don't own Private, as much as I wish I did.

Author's Note: I started this about two months ago. (23rd June). Anyway, I hope it's as good as my last fic. It was actually my friend's idea. The title was her idea too.

Prologue

What if Ariana hadn't killed Thomas?  
What if it was Reed?  
Would Gwendolyn Hall have burnt down?  
Would Reed and Cheyenne have been enemies?  
Would Cheyenne have died?  
Would Sabine have gone to Easton at all?  
Would Reed have been President of Billings?  
Would Billings have been shut down?

Chapter One

In between the four concrete walls of a small, padded cell in the Brenda T. Turnbull Correctional Facility for Women, two angry eyes glimmered from the very depths of the darkness that shadowed her somewhat cadaverous complexion. In her blue eyes was a mixture of hate and betrayal. The tips of her long blond hair showed through the little light that managed to enter her cell. She wasn't supposed to be there. She didn't belong in some mental facility. She belonged at Billings, at Easton Academy with her true sisters.

She should've been a freshman in an Ivy-League college right now. She should've finished her senior year a whole year ago. She should've spent her last year at Eaton not just as a student, but Easton royalty. She should've been on her way to becoming one of the best authors or poets Easton has ever seen. She should've been spending her free time reading and writing, but she was stuck here instead, in a damp, dank cell in some mental institute with sadistic shrinks like Dr. Meloni.

And to think she worked so hard. She had worked so hard to become one of Easton's elite. She had gone through all that hazing. Making a life, a destiny; it was so hard. Yet it was so fragile, mere words could destroy it. It could be taken from you in the blink of eye. The exact same thing had happened to her. Her life, the destiny she had created. It had been swiped away from her by a certain Pennsylvanian redhead scholarship witch.

Suddenly, her cell door was roughly opened by a burly guard in dungarees. He had refused to wear the facility's uniforms since he recently discovered the wonders of dungarees. (for he was somewhat wrong in the head, too)

"Osgood! Meloni wants to see you," he said. Sighing, Ariana got up, and grabbing the door handle, she slammed the door right onto his shin. As he clutched his shin in pain, Ariana grinned and walked ahead. She just loved to play games with the poor oaf. Ariana marched right into Meloni's office without even bothering to knock.

"So what do you want?" Ariana asked.

"You're switching therapists," he said.

"Good," Ariana said.

"To a therapist who can actually understand you murderous psychopaths,"

Ariana bit her lip and dug her fingernails into her arm, trying to control her temper.

_In…two…three_

_Out…two…three_

"Well if that's what you wanted to say…" Ariana got up, left the room and slammed the door shut. When she got back to her cell, the door was still open. The key was hanging from the lock. The guard in dungarees was nowhere to be seen. Fighting temptation, she took the key and shut the cell door. It wasn't fair. She wasn't supposed to be locked up. She was supposed to be having fun. She was not a murderous psychopath. She never killed anyone, except Mel and Sergei, of course. She was here for the murder of Thomas Pearson. But the true killer, the one who killed Thomas, she was still out there, enjoying what should have been Ariana's life. Just thinking about it made her angry.

The next morning, Ariana was to see her new psychiatrist. Unlike middle-aged Dr. Meloni, the new doctor, Dr. Thorne was only about 3 years older than Ariana. She very much reminded Ariana of Noelle, having brown hair and clad in black.

"The key," Thorne said. How did she find out about the key? Ariana thought for a moment. That key was her only way out. The bridge back to civilization. The path back to an education. She couldn't just let it go.

"What key?" Ariana asked. There was an awkward silence and Dr. Thorne picked up a clipboard and a gold fountain pen.

"Subject does not escape but has no intention of surrendering the key. Hm…" Dr. Thorne murmured to herself as she jotted that all down. "Interesting…"

So that's what Dr. Meloni meant by a shrink who actually understood psychopaths. Dr. Thorne herself was one.

"So how did it happen?" Dr. Thorne asked.

"What? What happened/" Ariana said, showing the signs of the beginning of a panic attack.

"Calm down, Ariana. You can trust me, okay? Think of me as your… sister. I too was a Billings girl. I know how tough it gets there,"

"You were a Billings girl?"

"I was, Ariana. So what happened?" Dr. Thorne asked. "What happened to Thomas Pearson?"

_Noelle Lange and her friend tied a blindfolded boy to a tree. Tall, thin and drunk, it was none other than Thomas Pearson., Easton's most irresistible bad-boy. He had just embarrassed Reed and Noelle was going to teach him a lesson. They all took all kinds of pictures of him and mocked him while he was semiconscious. They loosened his binds and left him there._

_But only one of them, a blue-eyed Ariana Osgood felt remorse welling up inside her. Even if she was angry with Thomas for falling in love with Reed, deep down, underneath that psychotic-ness, she still cared. Even if he gave Reed the subway token rightfully Ariana's, Ariana still wanted him. She needed him. She sneaked out of Billings and went back to the tree, where Thomas was now fully roused._

"_Thomas, I'm here to help…" Ariana said._

"_Don't touch me," Thomas said with a fierce glare._

"_Thomas…"_

"_You know what, Ariana? I'm going to come clean with the cops. I'll tell them about us. About Mel and Sergei,"_

_Somewhere in the bushes, there was a faint rustling sound. Someone was watching them._

"_Reed is everything to me. She deserves the truth,"_

"_Thomas, don't do this," Ariana said, bleary-eyed. She could see the blurry figure of a baseball bat. Suddenly, there was a noise. They ignored it._

"_You're a psychopath, Ariana. Just like your mother,"_

"_Don't ever say that again," Ariana said through her teeth. She reached for the baseball bat, but a hand quickly swiped it. The bat crashed down on Thomas's skull and a crack was heard._

"_You lied to me, Thomas," Reed said, fuming._

"_Why…Why…did…you…hide…things…from…me…" Reed said, hitting him between each word. But Thomas didn't answer. He was dead. There was blood everywhere. It trickled down the bat onto Reed's fingers and fingernails. Her clothes were bloodstained. The tips of her hair were dripping with the dark red substance. Reed was horrified. So was Ariana._

"_What did you just do?" Ariana asked in shock._

"_I know everything, Ariana. You are going to help me cover things up and I won't turn you in for this horrible crime as long as you do as I say," Reed threatened._

"_You're the one who killed him," Ariana retorted in her own defense._

"_Mel and Sergei, Ariana," Reed said with a slightly malicious tone._

"_You don't know anything. Brennan," Ariana said._

"_I can find out,"_

"_Okay, Reed. I give up. Now go wash up before anyone sees you," Ariana said. Just as her mother had told her, 'You never know what someone is capable of till they are pushed to the edge, Ariana'. It was true. Who would have thought the seemingly innocent Croton girl could kill anyone? She had blackmailed Ariana. And no one knew better than Ariana that a pest that doesn't know anything is the biggest pest of all…_

"So Reed killed Thomas? What about Mel and Sergei?" Dr. Thorne asked.

"Mel was… threatening me. Sergei stalked me," Ariana lied.

"So you didn't kill Thomas?"

"No. It was Reed. She blackmailed me into all this. That's why I'm here and she's out there, enjoying herself as a Billings girl. I didn't want anyone to find out about Mel and Sergei so I gave in,"

"And instead, you got in here because of Thomas's death,"

"Wasn't thinking straight,"

"So what happened with Mel and Sergei?" Dr. Thorne asked. It seemed as though she wanted to know every inch of Ariana's life. Ariana wondered what she would t ell her shrink. The truth? _No, never_ a voice inside of her said, and she knew that was what she would do. She would do what was right; what was right for herself.

"Mel was drunk… took a knife… almost killed me. I did what I had to do. And Sergei… he… he fell into the ice pond. He didn't know the ice wasn't thick enough… he fell in and I tried to help him… but he was too heavy and he let go," Ariana lied, her eyes filled with tears. Not that she felt for them… she was still upset about Reed and Thomas. Dr. Thorne's eyes were glued to her clipboard as she silently took note of everything. Ariana noticed two bold, golden letters embossed onto the clipboard. P.T. Ariana also noticed it was Thomas's initials spelt backwards.

Ariana wondered how Dr. Thorne could be so unfeeling. Here she was telling the most tragic story in the history of mankind, and all she cared about was that clipboard of hers. Dr. Thorne kept on writing. This lasted for about five minutes. Ariana bit her lip and dug into her arm again.

In…two…three

Out…two…three

In…two…three

Out…two…three

IN…TWO…THREE

OUT…TWO…THREE

Then suddenly, Dr. Thorne stopped writing and looked up with a contented smile on her face. "Osgood, I think I can get you out of here,"

And before Ariana knew it, she was leaving the facility. She had done her tine and was returning to Easton. She was going to show that vixen of a scholarship girl who deserved to be at Easton. Show her who was a real Billings girl.

Ariana was enjoying her first few hours of freedom. It felt so good. Maybe she wouldn't be returning to Easton. Who cares, anyway? There are tons of other great schools. She wondered what she should do if not returning to Easton. As she sat on the steps of a mall, she saw two girls walk past. One was a redhead and the other a brunette.

And for a moment, Ariana thought it was Reed and Noelle. They were everywhere; it was unbearable. There and then, Ariana knew what she would do; what she had to do. Return to Easton no matter what the consequences.

She wasn't going to let Reed scare her. She wasn't going to let a Glass-Licker tell her what to do. She was not prepared to lose her best friend Noelle to some Pennsylvanian witch. She wasn't going to go down without a fight; not like last time.


	2. Cockroaches

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Private. Sigh...

Author's Note: Acknowledgements. Without whom Chapter 2 of this fic would not be here.

Kate Brian. The author.  
FFN site admin. Whoever it its.  
My friend Sapphire aka Reed. Who told me Private was a good read and provided me with the idea of Reed killing Thomas.  
My friend aka Noelle. Who was the first of us to read a Private book.  
The readers and reviewers. For your support.

Ariana placidly walked up Easton's steps. The school administration had been informed of her recovery, but not her innocence, though. She was given the key to Billings that was taken from her long ago. She could feel everyone staring as she 2walked past. She knew how they saw her: a murderer; a killer; a psychopath. They were all wrong. She was not a murderer. She was a killer, though. She had to kill. She killed to save herself. Most of all, she was not a psychopath. It was Reed who made her look like one. Ariana entered Billings, where an appalled Noelle and Reed had been lounging about. Even the knowing Noelle was unprepared for this. Her eyes darted all around the room, from Reed to Ariana to the lacrosse bat on the shelf and back at Ariana again.

But before Noelle could reach her bat, Ariana lunged for it and placed it out of Noelle's reach.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Noelle demanded. Ariana noticed that Reed no longer looked appalled. Instead she looked terrified, with a slightly threatening look in her emotionless eyes. Obviously, such an expression was reserved for Ariana.

"I have come to…" Ariana stopped to stare at her enemy. Reed was biting her lip and clenching her fists.

"You're lying. You came to kill Reed. To kill everyone. Like the murderous psychopath you are," Noelle accused unforgivingly. Ariana felt Noelle's sharp words cut into her. Like glass. Reed was looking amused and Noelle was dead serious.

"Noelle. You have to understand me. Both you and I missed our senior year. We're both re-taking it. Kiran and Taylor have their careers. Noelle, I really need this. I need a chance to prove to people I can change," Ariana begged.

"You'll never change, Ariana," Noelle snapped.

"Okay, I didn't want to have to say this, but I have every right to be in Easton and Billings. I've got approval from the school admin and the management," Ariana said, then sarcastically added, "I'm surprised your father didn't tell you,"

"You know how it works in here, Osgood. I'm president. I call the shots. I can kick anyone out, in any way," Noelle said calmly.

"Noelle, just let it go. I forgive her for killing Thomas. She's done her time," Reed pleaded. What a hypocrite she was!

"Reed, we desperately need to talk," Noelle said, dragging Reed to her room.

"What the hell were you saying? Ariana will _kill _you!" Noelle demanded. Reed said nothing.

"I know Ariana better than you do. She _will _kill you," Noelle said.

"No she won't. I think she's changed," Reed said.

"She hasn't, and never will," Noelle insisted. Yet Reed sill offered Ariana absolution. Noelle did not understand.

"All she needs is a chance. She gave me Billings. The least I can do is give her a chance," Reed said. Noelle twitched in annoyance.

"Well, yeah, if you haven't noticed she took you in to kill you," Noelle retorted.

"Trust me. I know what I'm doing,"

"I sure hope you do," Noelle sighed, giving up.

Noelle didn't speak much to both Reed and Ariana, but she did make it a point to give either one of them an occasional insult.

"Hi," Constance greeted Ariana warmly. "Welcome back,"

"So what did I miss?" Ariana asked. Across the table, Noelle rolled her eyes.

"Cheyenne's reign as president, new school rules. Nothing much. Me and the girls voluntarily left Billings," Constance sighed. "You know how Billings is,"

Ariana nodded to show she understood. She toyed with her food. How could she get back at Reed? What if Reed had something more sinister in store? What if Noelle got in the way? What if Reed hurt her friends? Ariana knew that Reed would do anything to ruin her. After dinner, Ariana followed Reed. Reed bumped right into another boy. Wait—wasn't that the 14-in-14 scholarship boy? This was perfect. Ariana snapped a picture with her brand new digital camera. Reed's belongings were strewn all over the floor. Her cell phone, her books, her Billings necklace and a tin. The tin was cylindrical like an aerosol can. But why would Reed need a tin for? No way. It must be the scholarship boy's. Ariana stopped to look at the boy. His belongings were all mixed up on the floor, too. So the can was probably his. What was his name again? Ariana had forgotten. Marco Albert? Marcia Alberto? The boy introduced himself to Reed as Marcus Alberro. Reed picked up some of her belongings then told him to wait. Ariana heard Reed's footsteps approaching her. She had to do something. Fast.

Ariana darted into the storeroom. The place smelled like a market. Ariana held her breath. After long enough, she decided it was safe to come out. She saw Reed smile at Marc before leaving. So… the scholarship girl fell for the scholarship boy? Interesting… at least Reed found someone her level this time.

Ariana saw Marc leave Billings later that day in a hurried fashion. He looked at Ariana for a moment and blushed before walking on. Ariana stood staring at the door. Noelle and the others were gossiping at the other end of the corridor. Suddenly, everything was stopped by a long, shrill scream belonging to none other than Reed Brennan. Noelle told the others to stay out. Noelle entered Billings, and soon, Reed's pathetic wails were heard. Ariana knew this was her calling.

Ariana cautiously entered the common room. Noelle was waiting patiently.

"I hope you have an explanation," Noelle said. Reed looked upset.

"Explanation?" Ariana repeated. Without a word, Noelle took both Reed and Ariana to Reed's single. The once white walls were filled with psychotic scrawling. The offending lines were splashed—sprayed, rather, a blood red colour upon the pristine walls of Reed's room. Ariana took a glance at the scrawling, The words were in poem form.

_For past wrongs a curse you get,_

_Until Karmic requirements are met;_

_And shall I prevail in the killings,_

_I will become ruler of Billings._

Beside it was a poorly drawn tree, with a human stick figure tied to it. Thomas. Next to it was a gigantic letter A, followed by a medium sized D. Ariana realised they were initials. A.D. Ariana knew Noelle thought it was her. After all those were the initials of the last letters in her name. But then Reed moved away only to reveal a small letter M beside the A.D. initials. A word was spelt out. Mad.

That was when Ariana knew. It was that Marc Alberro. He added a D to make everyone think it was Ariana. Even the M was smaller to make the last two letters stand out. He even talked about killings. What if he knew? About Mel. And Sergei. The thought of those names made Ariana cringe. It only takes one mistake to ruin your life. She regretted it. She regretted it all. She shouldn't have killed Mel. She shouldn't have killed Sergei. She shouldn't have trusted Thomas.

"Well?" Noelle asked, interrupting Ariana's train of thought. Out of the corner of her eye, Ariana saw a tin of spray paint. Like the one Reed, or Marc, had dropped. For a moment, Ariana wondered if Reed had vandalized her own room. But it wasn't possible. Marc was in there. He came out and blushed at Ariana before running away. Reed looked really, really, genuinely scared.

"It was Alberro," Ariana finally said. She3 could tell Noelle didn't believe her.

"There is no way it was Marc. It was you," Reed accused. Noelle helped Reed calm down; before she started on of her freakish paranoid screeching sessions.

"We're going to Cromwell," Noelle declared. Ariana sighed. If Noelle wanted something, Ariana knew there was no stopping her. So she followed Noelle to Cromwell's office, expecting the worst. Noelle barged in without even knocking.

"Miss Lange. I am sure I have reminded you countless times about barging into my office at a time like this?" Cromwell said. Noelle couldn't care less.

"Ariana here left a threat in Reed's room," Noelle said, her eyes gleaming with the coldness instilled in it.

"It wasn't me," Ariana said quietly, her blue eyes literally begging for someone to believe her. Cromwell remained silent, as still as Stonehenge and as quiet as the mice that ran around campus.

"Let me have a look," Cromwell said. After looking at the scrawling, Cromwell sighed and paced up and down, thinking hard. His graying heir made him look stressed and old.

"We'll have the cleaning staff in here, Miss Brennan," Cromwell said, walking towards the door. Noelle looked appalled. What lack of judgment; what idiocy.

"What about Ariana?" Noelle immediately asked. Cromwell paused.

"Innocent till proven guilty," he finally said and walked away. Noelle stood there in shock. How dare he defy her? How dare he spare Ariana? How dare he set Reed and her aside fir that psycho killer? Reed, on the other hand, continued to sob. Ariana left Reed's room. She knew Noelle had some kind of revenge in store for her. But the moment she reached her room, she saw the door had already been opened. But by who? She saw a note on her blue duvet covers.

"No," she said. There it was, in her handwriting.

_For past wrongs a curse you get,_

_Until Karmic requirements are met;_

_And shall I prevail in the killings,_

_I will become ruler of Billings._

But there was a next stanza in this one.

_This is a death game,_

_We must play;_

_For you to die,_

_Is the way._

Someone was framing her. Who? Why? Marcus Alberro. Because no one likes a murderer. Because he has the ultimate key to Billings; Reed.

In…two…three

Out…two…three

This was it. She had to kill Marc. _No_, a voice inside her said. She had made mistakes in the past. She wasn't going to repeat history.

Noelle wondered how she would make Ariana pay; make her regret coming back, She stole a glance at Reed who was sobbing pathetically. Her poor little sister. The first thing to do was to get Ariana shipped off to the asylum.

Ariana combed her long blond hair before lying on her bed, cuddling her storybooks as she let her emotions flow. She was happy that she was back at Easton, and sad because no one accepted her. She was angry with Reed. She was jealous that Reed got all Noelle's trust. She was shocked because she was being framed. She was worried Noelle might do something drastic. The list was endless.

To Ariana, there were many cockroaches around her. Reed and Marc, to name a few. Ariana knew you needed the right kind of pesticides to kill each kind of bug. And this time, Ariana knew there was no hestitating in using it on Reed.


	3. A True Billings Girl

DISCLAIMER: I admit that I do not, and never will, own Private. And under Act . of the International Copyright Law, I am virtually un-suable.

Author's Note: Thanks so much for the views/ reviews. Anyway, I'm on a little break for now because my finals are coming up in about 3 weeks and also, I recently finished my writing pad. So... hope you enjoy the fic.

Ariana wondered if coming back to Easton was the right thing to do. Everyone hated her. Even the freshmen knew of Thomas's murder. Thanks to Reed, everyone thought her a murderous psychopath. She was nineteen; and so was Noelle. All this wasn't necessary. Had that Glass-Licker stayed at Pennsylvania where she belonged, this would have never happened. Billings's age regulations would not have been warped and disgraced this way. Noelle wouldn't have had to go through the probation or that trial. They would have all been able to finish their education the normal way, not like this. Reed had changed their lives; she broke them apart. Kiran, Taylor, Noelle and Ariana were slowly growing distant, thanks to Reed.

And now, Noelle was out to destroy her. They had the perfect lives, the perfect education. It only took one Hurricane Reed to distort their lives, without them even knowing it. _You never know what someone is capable of until they are pushed off the edge._

In…two…three

Out…two…three

In…two…three

OUT…TWO…THREE

IN…TWO…THREE

OUT…TWO…THREE

IN…TWO…THREE

OUT…TWO…THREE

IN…TWO—

"Would you stop already? I'm trying to sleep here, woman!" Cheyenne snapped. Ariana's intense breathing came to an end. It was 4 a.m. Soon, she drifted off into a troubled sleep.

_There Reed was, a smirk etched upon her face. A smirk of content without the slightest trace of compassion in it. Noelle was there. So was Cheyenne. Ivy. Everyone else. They all looked at her; accusingly, disgusted and shocked. Reed lay unconscious, but not dead, on the floor, Ariana's red finger marks around her neck. Noelle was crying. Cheyenne was in shock. Ivy was quiet. Constance stopped her 24/7 flow of words. Reed lay unconscious, but smirking, as though mocking Ariana._

"_Why?" Noelle asked helplessly, in a atone that made Ariana shudder. Her eyes were bleary and red. In the dark background, Ariana saw Marc smiling. Not his usual warm smile but somehow a frigid and cruel one. As if he knew. About everything; And was making Ariana pay. And now every Billings girl was looking at her._

'_Marc… It was him… He made me do this...' Ariana tried to say but no words came out. _

_This was no dream. It was a total nightmare. And without knowing it herself, Ariana screamed. She woke up. It was 5 a.m. Cheyenne was looking at her in a most annoyed way. _

"What does it take to get some sleep around here?" Cheyenne snapped.

"Sorry," Ariana finally managed to mutter.

At breakfast, no one spoke to Ariana. They only spoke _about_ her. There were things like 'How can they let that murderer back?', 'Look at her evil, staring eyes', 'I heard she's stalking Reed', and 'What if she kills us next?'

Noelle, her usual nonchalant self, said nothing and began to talk to her other friends. "It has to be Ariana. She's taking revenge on Reed,"

Take revenge on Reed, her foot. Wait… how is vandalizing Reed's room even considered revenge? The only thing that could possibly atone for Reed's crime was death. Noelle gave Ariana a quick, spiteful look before continuing to talk to her friends. It was probably the same look that scared Cheyenne out of being President. Ariana watched Reed closely. What was that in Reed's hair? No, it wasn't a squashed bug as Ariana had hoped. But one strand, just one strand stood out. It was a bright red tip on a strand of red hair. The tip was so small, so slight that it was almost impossible to detect. Only Ariana's keen eyes would be able to detect this.

Then it was her! And Alberro helped. Damn him. Damn her. How could Noelle be so blind? _Everything happens for a reason,_ like Noelle said. And now that reason was Reed. It had to be. Ariana knew exactly what Reed's plan was. Ariana would die, after Reed had framed her. Like the note said:

_For past wrongs a curse you get,_

_Until Karmic requirements are met,_

_And shall I prevail in the killings,_

_I will become ruler of Billings._

_This is a death game,_

_We must play,_

_For you to die,_

_Is the way._

Yes, It had to be. Reed was going to kill Ariana. The vicious wretch who killed her own boyfriend was after his ex. Reed was going to kill Ariana. But how would she rule Billings that way? Then it hit Ariana.

"You sure? This all seems so wrong," Reed said. Cheyenne smirked.

"At least I'll get some sleep," she said. "So are you okay with Phase One?"

Reed hesitated. "I don't know… It's just so… wrong,"

"Are you sure you're a Billings girl?" Cheyenne asked, arching a perfect eyebrow, casting Reed in a shadow of doubt. Reed's face hardened, with a sneer to complete it.

"Prepare Phase One," she said. Cheyenne and two others nodded, but their faces were concealed by the shadows.

"Looks like old enemies are one," Cheyenne said, shaking hands with one of the shadowed.

"It's for a good cause after all," the voice said in a low tone. Slowly… the four approached Ariana's room… and took something out… and put something else in. The four separated, with Reed clutching the stolen item.

Reed held the fleur-de-lis tightly in her right palm. It reminded her of when she and Ariana were friends. Before Ariana betrayed her. Before Ariana led the others to kill Thomas. Reed knew it was Ariana's idea. Not Noelle's. They were only saying that. She remembered the time Ariana told Noelle off for calling her a mean name. How her voice had this calming effect on her. Then, she recalled the time Ariana went to save Thomas from her own scheme that October. The thought of it made Reed's blood boil. Ariana had made her kill Thomas.

The cold metal was warming up in Reed's clutch. Reed had made up her mind. She would do what she had to. She went on and joined Noelle.

"So, glass-licker, what's up?" Noelle asked.

"Nothing," Reed said, as she quickly pocketed the fleur-de-lis, as if to prevent Noelle from seeing it. Just then, someone burst into the room in a desperate way.

Ariana had to tell Noelle. Had to. Warn her. Ariana burst into the room, panting heavily. Both Noelle and Reed stared at her.

"Noelle. We… need to talk. In... private," Ariana said, gasping for air. She definitely was no athlete.

"Excuse us," Noelle told Reed, signaling for Reed to leave the room. Reed left without a word.

"Noelle, Reed is going to kill you,"

"Yeah right," Noelle scoffed. "You're the murderer,"

"You're no better," Ariana accused.

"I only do what I have to," Noelle said in defense of herself.

"You can't trust her," Ariana said. Despite her best efforts, Noelle refused to believe her. In the end she gave up but told Noelle to be careful. Reed went back into the room and glared as Ariana walked past. She hated Ariana, and Ariana hated her back.

"Reed Brennan, you're a stuck up, good for nothing, two faced, wretched, blackmailing, boyfriend killing, backstabbing witch," Ariana muttered under her breath. She went to her room and gripped the forged note so tightly that it got all crumpled. Ariana felt a sudden emptiness in her. Then she realized the cause of all this. Her fleur-de-lis was gone! But who? Who was so perfectly wretched? Marc? Reed? Ariana grabbed her bag. She had a test coming up. She would think about all this later.

Ariana placed her bag at the side of her table. She glanced at the paper, and found it exceptionally easy, and finished it in about five minutes. Suddenly, Noelle walked over, and tripped on Ariana's bag, Everyone gasped. Some at Noelle, some at Ariana. Ariana wondered why everyone was staring at her as with Noelle's help she gathered her belongings. That was when she caught sight of _that_. Crib sheets. That came from her bag. The teacher cleared his throat, and Ariana knew what this meant.

"What? But— but I didn't…" Ariana began but he ignored her. Her eyes darted around, practically _imploring_ for someone to believe her. The crib sheets were confiscated, as was her test paper. She stared at the crib sheets on the teacher's table. They reminded her of so much. Reed had to steal crib sheets for her once. They used crib sheets to get Leanne expelled. That was what they were doing now. Reed and the others were getting her expelled. Ariana wondered if Noelle knew of her little sister's treachery. It just wasn't fair. Reed stole Ariana's life. She stole Ariana's best friend; her Billings sister. Reed was nothing but a twisted temptress who got lucky.

Ariana was sent to Cromwell's office after that. Unlike Noelle, Ariana knocked before entering.

"At least _one_ of you Billings girls know how to knock," Cromwell said as Ariana took seat. She looked Cromwell in the eye. Under the table she got a voice recorder handy. She was going to do what she had to.

"And as demonstrated by your friend Leanne last year, I'm sure you're well aware that cheaters are _expelled_ from Easton?" Cromwell said. Ariana didn't answer. Instead she deliberately stared at Cromwell's food container. She made it so obvious, that even Cromwell noticed. Cromwell went red with embarrassment, because he had so often announced of his being capable of eating at posh restaurants every night without being halfway near bankruptcy.

"As I was saying, such actions…" Cromwell began but stopped when he saw Ariana fishing for something in her bag. As she continued to delve for something, he kept his mouth shut and watched.

"How much do you need?" Ariana asked, placing her checkbook on the table. "1K?"

"Make it 5 and we have a deal," Cromwell said. And just like that, Ariana was spared, and she rushed off to her next class, where Noelle seemed surprised at her return.

As she always did when she was lost, confused or upset, Ariana wrote.

_In a clandestine room,_

_I take out my knife,_

_I thrust it forward,_

_And end your life._

Ariana smiled as she imagined herself stabbing Reed, She could almost feel the scholarship girl's blood trickling down her arms. That lovely, warm blood. Reed's eyes looking as if they would pop out any moment. Ariana lived for that moment. But all it was now was a dream. A delightful, idyllic, indelible dream. Noelle, who was sitting beside Ariana saw the poem and rolled her eyes.

Back in her room, Ariana tossed the poem into the bin. Stupid poem. She took out her voice recorder and pressed the play button.

_How much do you need? _Ariana's own voice, followed by the tap the checkbook made when it hit the table._ 1K?_

_Make it five and we have a deal. _Cromwell. The fluttering of the checkbook's pages being turned, written on and torn out.

Ariana smiled, proud of herself for having used such a sneaky tactic to obtain the right part of their conversation to blackmail Cromwell with, in case he got in the way later.

This was the life of a true Billings girl. Do what you have to, to lead your sisters to the right path. That was what Ariana had to do. She had to prove Reed killed Thomas.


	4. Stalked

Disclaimer: All rigths belong to Kate Brian.

A/N: Here are a list of my acknowledgements. It's quite hard to keep track of these things when each exam is about a month and a half apart and you've got like four whole textbooks to memorise. Ugh.

Kate Brian (author of Private who is not suing us for writing fanfics. lol)  
Sapphire, or Reed, as we call her (for the ideas and dumping her Private books with me so that I would read them)  
Noelle, as we shall call her (who bought Confessions two yyears ago, and that is how we all started reading Private. So you can imagine that each Private novel has been through six or seven people)  
Taylor, as we shall call her (for her slightly insane and reluctant inspiration in the things that she says and does)  
Jojo69 and JennyLange (for reviewing)  
Everyone else (for reading)

The next day, Ariana checked to make sure there were no crib sheets or anything of the sort in her bag. She grabbed a storybook and went for breakfast. There, she saw something even more interesting than Reed and Marc. She saw Marc and one of the freshman girls. Together. As in, a couple. Ariana heard her say something about Noelle. Noelle heard her too. Obviously, it hadn't been something very nice. Noelle approached them.

"And who are _you_?" Noelle asked.

"Cassielle Devers," she introduced herself before adding sarcastically, "Nice to meet you,"

"Well, good luck with _him_," Noelle smirked, saying the word 'him' as though she were referring to something as common as a sewer rat. Noelle returned to her Billings table.

"Looks like that CD's going to be stuck in Pemberley in _her_ junior year," Noelle said to Ariana. Ariana just smiled. This was more like the Noelle she had known before the murder of the Ketlar boy that Noelle had hated anyway. Yup, this was more Noelle-ish then Noelle would ever be around a murderer. It was so like Noelle to be giving nicknames to people she had only known for about twenty seconds.

Ariana knew this was wrong. She was spying on Reed. But it was more right than the wrong Reed did. Reed was in the Billings common room. She was on the phone. Alone.

"So. It's confirmed. I'll have it transferred to your account. Break it up by this Friday," Reed said. "Got it, Cassielle?"

Reed put down the phone. This was sick. How many did she have to victimise, to steal, before she was contented? Ariana came out of hiding and confronted Reed.

"Brennan, you thieving wretch. How much are you giving her?" Ariana demanded.

"Oh, enough. About 10 K," Reed responded coolly.

"Where would you get that money anyway?" Ariana questioned.

"From me. Alberro and I have some unfinished business," Cheyenne said as she came out of her room.

"Thomas," Ariana muttered, but only loud enough for her and Reed to hear.

"Mel. Sergei," Reed muttered back.

"Murderer!" Ariana accused. This time, she was yelling.

"Um… how did our conversation get to this?" Cheyenne asked, wide-eyed.

"Hey, Cheyenne?" Reed asked, glaring at Ariana from the corner of her eyes.

"Yeah?" Cheyenne asked.

"Who's Sergei?"

Noelle Lange was what one could call desperate. She would do anything to get what she wanted. But Noelle knew about friendship. It was a barrier. That annoying factor always stood in her way. But Ariana had betrayed her. Reed. Everyone. But somehow Noelle felt something fishy was going on. She stared at the fleur-de-lis on Reed's shelf. She knew it was Ariana's But would she return it? Noelle picked it up and examined it. To show compassion to a murderer was to show weakness. So Noelle put it back where she found it.

Noelle wondered if confronting Cassielle had been the right thing to do. This feeling was completely alien to Noelle, since she had never once felt guilty, not even when she went to jail for Reed. Noelle left her room and headed to the Billings common room where she stumbled upon a strange sight.

Reed looked at Cheyenne. Cheyenne diverted her gaze from Ariana to Reed, then back to Ariana again. Ariana looked at Cheyenne with pleading eyes, begging her not to say a word to that wretch. Noelle watched from the staircase. Silence, an eerie sort of silence filled the air. Cheyenne looked pleadingly at Noelle for some form of assistance.

"Who's Sergei?" Reed asked again.

"No one in particular," Noelle answered in place of Cheyenne. Ariana felt relieved.

What day was it? Saturday, Five days, at the most, to stop CD, as Noelle called her. Ariana grabbed Reed's phone and copied CD's number. Ariana heard footsteps approach the Billings common room, and she thrust the phone right to the couch where she found it. Reed entered the room.

"Seen my phone?" Reed asked casually.

"Right where you left it," Ariana said and went back to her room. Cheyenne wasn't there. Perfect. Ariana whipped out her phone and dialed Cassielle's number. Nobody picked up. So Ariana resorted to texting.

**Don't listen to R Brennan. I will hv x3 th amount by nxt Monday after u fail her plans.**

Cassielle replied:

**Who r u?**

Ariana pondered for a moment, before saying:

**Amberley Charmichael**

And Cassielle said one thing that would change her life forever.

**OK. We have a deal.**

Ariana sneered. That idiot freshman girl didn't know what was coming. Ariana wasn't going to give her the money. She was just delaying Reed's plan.

Ariana Osgood knew that Reed Brennan was behind all this. Marc was helping her. They were using Cassielle. But somehow, it just didn't fit. If Marc was with Reed, why did Reed ask Cassielle? Perhaps Reed was truly in love? Perhaps they weren't really working together? But what if they were? What if Cassielle was in on this too?

Noelle Lange, meanwhile, knew that Ariana Osgood was behind all this. She had blamed Reed for everything. She had gone to jail and she vandalized Reed's room. And she was going to kill Reed.

Finally, Reed Brennan knew that she had nothing to do with most of the things that had happened so far.

Nightfall at Easton signified the time everyone should be in bed, and those who got caught sneaking around campus would be suspended. Most of them, anyway. But night time was when Ariana Osgood felt at peace. There were no endless stares, gossiping or death glares. The night was serene, a source of privacy.

Ariana sneaked out of her dorm and walked along Easton's ivy covered walls. As she was enjoying the nightly silence, it was disrupted. Someone had sworn. She discovered it to be none other than Amberley Charmichael, the girl Ariana had pretended to be.

"Um… are you okay?" Ariana asked the seemingly agitated Amberley.

"Yeah, I'm fine. My phone just crashed and I've an urgent call to make, that's all," Amberley said, her blond hair getting straggly from the drizzle that just began.

"Here. Use mine," Ariana offered. Amberley gratefully took the phone and made that urgent phone call of hers. After that she returned it to Ariana.

"Oh, sorry! I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Amberley Charmichael," she said. "And you are?"

"Um… I'm Ariana Osgood," Ariana said. Amberley tried unsuccessfully to suppress a shocked and fearful look before excusing herself. Ariana's life, it seemed, had taken a turn for the worst. Now she was viewed and feared as a murderer. Ariana had always known about fear. Fear was a delightful element of life, especially if you were the one being feared. She was feared and respected when she was a Billings girl, before Thomas' murder. It wasn't fair. Reed was living her life. The life of a Billings girl. Billings, the upperclassmen dorm for females at Easton. Billings, house of countless scandals. But that was what made Billings special. The fact that there were so many of these things—scandals, going on yet Billings never had to shut down.

Why? Why couldn't Noelle see who Reed really was? Reed was a murderer, backstabber and blackmailer. Ariana wondered what she ever did to deserve this injustice. What did karma hold against her? Suddenly, the answer floated into her head. Mel and Sergei. But it was just one mistake. Mel deserved to be killed. Sergei didn't. But Sergei had been pretty annoying. Him and his damned camera.

Ariana sighed as she fell back onto her bed. Cheyenne woke up with a start.

"Honestly, don't you psychopaths ever sleep?" Cheyenne asked, irritated. Ariana managed to nod wearily before falling into a deep sleep.

Ariana grabbed her bag and ran a thorough check in it. She wasn't taking any chances. Easton was once again experiencing daybreak, the time when one wakes up, usually for breakfast. But today, the ladies of Billings House woke up to a completely different, but somewhat familiar scenario.

Reed was crying— out of fear perhaps. Her room had once again been vandalized. Except this time, red paint had been splashed across the furniture as well, in the form of insulting words. Only there was something Ariana found to be familiar._ Too_ familiar. There were four lines to it. She gasped.

_In a clandestine room,_

_I take out my knife,_

_I thrust it forward,_

_And end your life._

It was her poem. But she threw it away! How could this happen? Who knew about it? Noelle. It had to be. Reed influenced Noelle into all of this. Noelle wanted Ariana out of Easton. Reed gave her the idea. Somehow, it all fitted perfectly.

Ariana was faced with accusing stares. Ariana knew Reed and Noelle were guilty of this. Or maybe it was Marc. But one thing Ariana was sure of was that she was being stalked.


	5. Betrayal

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Private, because Kate Brian does.

Every Billings girl stared accusingly at Ariana. They had seen Reed's wall. The poem. Noelle probably told them about it. And the poem. The poem Ariana wrote and threw away. But how did it get there? Reed? Noelle? Marc? Cassielle? Perhaps Cassielle knew it was Ariana?

Ariana's icy blue eyes stared upon Billings sisters. This time her eyes displayed two emotions, a mixture if shock and terror. No one would believe her. No one would believe a murderer. Noelle cleared her throat, a sign for everyone except Ariana to leave the room. Reed was the last to leave and she closed the door behind her.

"Noelle, I…" Ariana began.

"I know it was you. That's your poem. You're taking revenge again. This time I'm not letting it go," Noelle said, her usual determined look taking over her facial features.

"It wasn't me. I threw that poem away," Ariana said. Just then, the door opened and Headmaster Cromwell strode in.

"Mrs. Lattimer informed me of this little confrontation," he said.

"Ariana's done it again," Noelle said.

"Done what? I…" Cromwell's words trailed off as his gaze fell upon Reed's walls.

"It wasn't me!" Ariana protested, giving Cromwell a sharp glare to remind him of the five thousand dollars. Ariana had never felt so brave in her life. She felt exactly like Noelle. Cromwell shut the door.

"Miss Lange, I have received reports describing you as insensitive and willing to do anything to get what you want. And I am sure that we both know you do not approve of Miss Osgood in 'your' house," he stated.

"What the hell? I _saw_ Ariana write that poem! Are you blind or something? Or did she bribe you?" Noelle demanded, each word uttered with pure hatred. Ariana's heartbeat accelerated. Did Noelle know? Noelle, who could read her with a single glance.

"How much do you need, Cromwell? Ten thousand? Twenty?" Noelle asked sarcastically. Somehow there was a slightly mocking tone behind her words, implying, 'don't think you can get away with this'. Cromwell went pale before swallowing hard.

"You should know that as a headmaster of a school of such prestige, I would never do such a thing. It's against the law," Cromwell said in defense of himself. Noelle smiled in a somewhat sinister fashion, as would a tiger to its prey.

"And _you_ should know better than anyone that people do break the rules sometimes," she said. "When they have to, of course,"

"I shall say no more." Cromwell said. Noelle rolled her eyes.

"We shall bring the cleaning staff in again for Miss Brennan," Cromwell said, but was cut off by on of Noelle's quick, witty comments.

"I thought you said you'll say no more?" Noelle asked. Cromwell ignored her.

"And we will perform thorough investigations on the house to catch the culprit," Cromwell said, before leaving.

"It wasn't me," Ariana insisted.

"Then how do you explain the poem?" Noelle asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I…don't know," Ariana said, defeated.

Cheyenne Martin wondered why they let Ariana Osgood off the hook, so many times. She, Reed and the other two had done some unimaginable things. It wasn't easy for four to break into Hell Hall to get one measly set of crib sheets. It was easier to do this kind of thing alone, like Cheyenne heard Reed did.

But going in such a big group was really Reed's idea. How typical of Brennan. Clumsy, stupid and careless. Cheyenne began to wonder if she were really doing this for the greater good.

Was getting Ariana expelled the best thing to do? Ariana wasn't the type to repeat the same, stupid mistake. But Cheyenne had made a deal. And Cheyenne never went back on her word, unless it was really necessary. With the stealth of a burglar, Cheyenne entered Bradwell House.

Ariana looked at the time. Four in the morning. Where could Cheyenne be? She saw a glimmer of light from Cheyenne's side of the room, followed by a soft vibration. Ariana obtained the source— Cheyenne's phone. Cheyenne had received a text. But from who? Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, Ariana grabbed the phone and flipped it open. The sender was someone called PT.

Knitting her brow. Ariana struggled to remember where she had seen that pair of letters before. Frustrated, Ariana asked herself why she had to be so stupid. Why couldn't she have a photographic memory like Taylor? She read the text.

**Lets meet up tmr. Just the 2 of us. 6 in the evening. U knw whr.**

Before Ariana could do anything more, she heard soft footsteps approach. The kind of over-cautious footsteps that only Cheyenne's elephant feet would make. Panic seized Ariana, and she struggled to hold back a panic attack that would prove her paranoia had returned. She wasn't crazy. She wasn't paranoid. She was sane.

She tried to tell herself that, but somehow it wasn't working. She was crazy and she knew it. But this was no time to be debating over her paranoia.

In a split second, she had tossed the phone aside and leapt into bed. Cheyenne entered the room, picked up her phone and said nothing.

Thursday. As Ariana ate her breakfast, troubled thoughts fluttered in and out of her mind. Who was PT?

Marc sat across the room from Ariana. Ariana saw a brunette walking briskly to his table. No, not Noelle. The girl was too short to be Noelle. It was Cassielle. Everyone could feel the tension rising between the two.

"I don't want to see you again," Cassielle said, biting her lip as though it pained her to say so.

"What?" Marc asked, not believing what he had heard.

"You have a tiny, puny little thing and I don't want to be with you anymore," Cassielle said. Ariana remembered those words. They were Noelle's words. Not word for word but it was clear whose idea she stole. Noelle made Reed say it when Kiran's relationship with the Dreck boy was exposed. When Reed was still with Thomas.

That was when the memory hit Ariana. The pen. PT. Thomas' initials spelt backwards. On the pen of Dr. Pamela Thorne. Ariana needed to see . Today. But as she was in her state of shock she didn't realize when another brunette walked past her. This time, it _was_ Noelle.

"Can't you be at least a _little_ original?" Noelle asked loudly, her voice drenched with disgust. Ariana snapped out of her temporarily frozen state. She immediately knew what Noelle was doing. Noelle was claiming the words spoken as her own.

"What are you going to do about it? Kill me?" Cassielle asked with a smirk. Ariana knew instantly that this girl was in for it. Nobody, _nobody_ spoke to Noelle like that and got away with it.

"I'm tempted," Noelle said, rendering Cassielle speechless. All eyes were on Noelle and the girl that dared oppose her.

Ariana saw Cheyenne nervously leave their dorm. Ariana checked the time. 5:50. Just minutes before she was supposed to meet Dr. Thorne. Cheyenne's blond hair was tied into a ponytail and on her neck hung a necklace of gold, (solid gold, no doubt) its heart shaped pendant adorned with rubies.

Ariana rolled her eyes. The girl had always loved jewelry. It was just getting dark. Ariana followed Cheyenne, quiet as ever, to the center of campus, right into Mitchell Hall and into the art cemetery. Obviously, someone had forgotten to lock up.

Ariana wondered why Cheyenne was meeting Dr. Thorne. Maybe the rumour was true, that Cheyenne took growth hormones. Maybe the hormones had adverse psychological effects.

Ariana went in, only to expose her ethereal eyes to a most inappropriate scene. Cheyenne and Trey… doing… whatever they were doing. Ariana wondered for a moment if either one was drunk but soon realised this was not the case. Ariana wondered what link lay between Trey Prescott and Pamela Thorne.

And all too suddenly, she figured it out. TP was PT, in reverse. In all her eighteen years, she had never once noticed that Trey's name bore the same initials as Thomas. And never in her eighteen years did she feel so retarded.

How could she have been so paranoid? How could she have been so ungrateful? Dr. Thorne was the reason she could come back to Easton in the first place.

Ariana retreated to Billings, leaving Cheyenne and Trey to their own devices. She needed to see Noelle. She needed the madness to end. She needed someone to tell her that it was all just a joke. One of Noelle's sick mind games.

But there was no one. Ariana entered her dorm room and slammed the door shut. As she delved into the contents of her bag she uncovered her phone to check its message inbox. She had gotten a text from an unknown number.

**Looking for your stalker, Ariana? Let's meet at Bradwell. They key? Look in the room of your worst enemy.**

The text was from earlier that morning. Ariana had been too busy to check her phone. Then perhaps her stalker was from Bradwell? Ariana wondered who it might be. He only two people she knew from Bradwell were Cassielle and Amberley.

Ariana knew at once that by the term worst enemy, the sender was by no doubt referring to Reed. But why, for what deranged, warped reason would Reed have the key? Well, there was only one way to find out. But to do that, Ariana would be breaking into Noelle's room. Ariana would be walking right through the gates of betrayal.


	6. Murder

Disclaimer: Today I am going to make a confession that literally hammers a stake into my dreams of ever owning a book series like Private. Well. Here goes. **I do not own PRIVATE.**

Author's Note: I sincerely don't know how much longer this fic will be, but it's definitely going to past ten chapters. Hopefully. Oh, and the usual. Thanks for reading, reviewing, etc.

The door of Noelle's room seemed to be begging to be opened. Ariana was tempted to burst in, but feared the consequences. Noelle, for all her life had been unpredictable. This Ariana knew from experience, as she and Noelle had been roommates. For instance, there were times when Noelle demanded absolute privacy, yet there were times when she would gladly flaunt her perfect body in public; although most of the time it was the latter.

Ariana knew that if she wanted to get even an inch closer to finding out who her stalker was, she was going to have to take some risks. And this was one of them. She hesitated, wondering if Noelle might still be awake, having around of 'I Never'. But no sounds emerged from the room. Ariana turned the doorknob, letting the door creak open on its own, the light from outside filling the room. Ariana half-expected Noelle to jump out of nowhere and ask her true intentions but it didn't happen. Hands shaking, Ariana flicked on the lights. The room was empty. Then Ariana realized that Billings House was a little too quiet. There was no incessant chatter, laughter nor glasses clinking. Billings house was deserted. Rather than feeling relieved, Ariana was worried. Where were they? Had they all been kidnapped for a ransom of 20 million dollars each? They were all rich, after all; with the exception of Reed, of course.

Ariana took up her phone and texted Noelle.

**Whr r u?**

She got a reply that was full of spelling mistakes.

**Partyind io thf wnndz. Dhd wd 4get 2 ynvyt u aryane?**

Clearly, someone was drunk. Ariana could barely make out what Noelle was trying to say. Although she seemed to be saying they were partying in the woods. Ariana knew that it was now or never. The key was easy enough to find, it was just hanging there. Ariana caught sight of Noelle's table. It was as messy as always. But something about it roused Ariana's suspicions. She pawed through the clutter and finally pulled out her fleur-de-lis. What was it doing among Noelle's disorderly archive of precious metals and stones?

Did Noelle steal it? Why would she? Noelle had enough pocket change to buy a whole jewelry store. Besides, she didn't need any more jewelry. The jewelry she already had was well enough to clutter up her table. Ariana took the fleur-de-lis and went back to her room. From her cupboard, she pulled out a wooden trunk. She opened it and was greeted by her countless notebooks. She took them out and stacked them out on the floor. A ribbon stuck out from the bottom of the chest. She pulled the ribbon and revealed a sleek black laptop underneath. Ariana took out the laptop. There was another box. It was padlocked shut and Ariana struggled to remember where she had put the key. It had to be there, somewhere.

She finally found it in one of the notebooks. She opened the box. Inside was a small dagger. The hilt was made of brass, and ornate designs were engraved onto it, Three sapphire studs, as blue as the sky were embedded into the brass. The brass not bronze, but a shiny yellow, as it had been coated in a layer of gold. Ariana had been saving it for a special occasion, the occasion being the murder of Reed Brennan. Unlike Reed, the dagger had not exactly been cheap.

Ariana was dying to plunge the dagger into Reed's heart. The third murder's the charm, she supposed. She would stab the unsuspecting Reed as payback for stalking her.

In… two… three

Out… two… three

Okay, she was ready. Ariana slipped on a black tank top and leggings as she grabbed the knife and the key. Her heart thumped and her legs grew weary of walking even though Bradwell was only about a five minute walk from Billings. The night's shadows camouflaged her as she entered Bradwell. She strained to hear if anyone was up. She was not really in the mood to talk to any Bradwell girls nor their immature, naïve psycho of a house mother Ms. Ling.

No sounds emerged from the rooms. After all, it was two in the morning. Only the Billings girls and Ketlar boys would be up this early—partying, perhaps. Just as they were reportedly doing that night. Suddenly, Ariana heard voices from the third room along the corridor. From beneath the door she could see that the lights were on. Intrigued, Ariana pressed herself against the door.

"Looks like you found your phone, Amberley," a voice said. Ariana recognized the voice. It was Cassielle.

"I found it yesterday. Well, two days ago. More or less. I've forgotten," Amberley admitted. Ariana did remember Amberley mentioning that she lost her phone. Then it could have been Amberley that was stalking her.

"You seem anxious," Cassielle commented.

"I'm expecting someone," Amberley explained. Ariana wondered how Amberley might fit into the picture. Did Amberley hate Reed enough to breach the walls of Billings not once, but twice, to vandalise Reed's walls? Did Amberley hate Ariana enough to plant those crib sheets? A glimmer of light shone from Ariana's phone. She had gotten a text form Noelle, who apparently was still a little tipsy.

**U npt cmnig?**

Ignoring the text, Ariana looked for the text that she had gotten from her stalker. She pressed the call button and the number was immediately dialed. From inside the room there was a ring as Amberley took the call.

"Hello? Hello? Anyone there?" Amberley's voice rang through the receiver. Ariana ended the call. _'If Amberley would just disappear, would anyone notice? If I kill her tonight, I'm sure both our problems would en.,'_

Luckily enough for Amberley, Ariana snapped out of it. She could not believe she was thinking these thoughts again. Murder was wrong. _'But what about manslaughter?'_

Ariana bit her lip. _'Why do you keep thinking these things? You barely know the girl. Don't make another mistake. Just. Let. It. Go.'_ Ariana forced herself to think. Why was she being bombarded by these thoughts? Were they her own?

In… two… three

Out… two… three

In… two… three

Ariana's breaths of anxiety were halted by footsteps. How many people were there? Five? Six? Ariana turned to run. Too late.

Standing before her was a tall, sophisticated figure, with striking blond hair that rested on her shoulders. Her big eyes stared, shocked, into Ariana's blue eyes but she quickly recovered from this shock.

"What are you doing here, Ariana? Looking for someone to kill?" Cheyenne asked. Ariana felt her jaw clenched as she restrained herself from physically striking Cheyenne.

"No, I came to visit Cassielle. Cheyenne looked mortified although she knew Ariana was lying.

"You're lying. Besides, you don't have the authority to give out Billings invites," Cheyenne scoffed.

"Well then, Cheyenne," Ariana said. "Oops, sorry. _Lady_ Cheyenne, did I mention that you, Trey and the art cemetery look good together?

"You don't have to be such a bi—oh, forget it. Why am I talking to a psycho murderer anyway?" Cheyenne asked with a small smirk. Insulted, Ariana gave Cheyenne a shove before exiting the joint and tearing her way through the shadows of the night. Ariana's forehead glistened with sweat. This was disgusting. Ariana simply hated sweat.

Back at Billings, after taking a nice, long, shower, Ariana decided that there was no point in sleeping. It was already five in the morning. The others had come in while she was having her shower.

Ariana couldn't help but feel envious of Cheyenne. Cheyenne had someone who loved her. Ariana did not. The one Ariana had loved had been killed by that redheaded wretch Reed. But there was probably a silver lining under that cloud. Ariana was about to kill him anyway. So perhaps it was a good thing that Reed had killed him instead. Ariana would never have been able to handle the guilt. Reed was the real criminal here. Reed killed Thomas, not her. Reed blackmailed her into submission. Why hadn't she been able to think straight before?

"Okay, Ariana," she told herself. "This is Reed's fault, not yours. Don't let her mistakes screw up your life,"

Cheyenne burst into the room, looking as if she was being chased by a two-headed Reed. Ariana attempted to visualise the monstrosity. Her two heads of hair would be tangled and matted. Her eyes would be a bright yellow streaked with a blood red hue. She would be dressed in the most slovenly of ways and she would be snatching away other girls' betrothed.

"What's up?" Ariana asked casually.

"Cromwell is holding some last minute morning services. Something is up," Cheyenne muttered. Suddenly a loud, long shriek emerged from the walls of Bradwell. Ariana wondered what it could be. There was only one way to find out, And that was by asking the all-knowing Noelle.

Ariana rushed to the Billings common room, where everyone was just about to leave. Ariana could see their eyes were rimmed with black from staying up all night, although most of it was cleverly concealed by their expensive cosmetics.

Noelle, of all people, was devastated.

"Not again. Not again," Noelle seemed to whine. Well, that would be an understatement, as Noelle seemed close to a nervous breakdown.

"What 'not again'?" Ariana asked, having much concern but showing little of it ti Noelle's mental health, After all, breakdowns weren't all that rare in their world.

"Noelle, what happened?" Ariana prompted. Ariana got no reply. Noelle merely shook her head and sobbed. Never in her life had Ariana seen Noelle so depressed. She looked depressed enough to upset someone who had just struck the lottery.

Ariana's gaze turned to the others, all of whom were as quiet and unnerved as Noelle, but to a lesser extent.

"What? Did someone die?" Ariana asked, hoping to rouse some smiles or at least smirks. She got none.

"That's exactly it, Ariana," Reed said quietly. "Murder, in fact. A Bradwell girl got stabbed to death,"

Ariana sped off to her room. She sat on her bed, shocked. They were going through this all over again. The suspicions. The interrogations. The reporters. The pesky paparazzi. Stalkerazzi, as Noelle would call it. The void of fear that could never be filled. Ariana ran her ethereal fingers across her bedcovers, expecting to feel her dagger there. She needed it. She just needed to hold it in her grip, and she would feel secure. But it was not there. It was gone.

She froze. It was all happening again. She was going to be framed for something that she did not do. She would be accused of tarnishing Easton's reputation, when it was someone else who committed the crime. Easton would never be her home again. Easton was supposed to be a safe place. But it wasn't. Once again, at Easton, there had been a murder.


	7. Interrogation

Disclaimer: I do not own PRIVATE.

Author's note: Thanks for reading and reviewing, everyone. and wow. Writing is more work than I thought it would be. No complaints, though. It's fun.

During morning services, Cromwell was accompanied by a group of uniformed men. Ariana immediately recognized Detective Hauer. Whispers rose from the students, but they were silenced by the dean. Cromwell stepped up, his face solemn.

"I am sad to report that Cassielle Devers of Bradwell House has been murdered in the most brutual of ways," Cromwell said, stopping to shoot an irritated glance at some students who were still whispering. "Therefore, the police will run thorough investigations as they did the last time," he gave Ariana a pointed look.

Ariana saw the detective's face contort. He was staring at her, shocked, his gaze implying, 'What is that psychotic witch of a murderer doing here?'

'In your face, Hauer,' Ariana thought, and returned to him an expression that implied so. The students were now saying things like 'I bet it's that Osgood girl,' and 'Noelle Lange seemed to have a motive,' Noelle heard it too. Noelle and Ariana shot each other defiant looks that each said, 'I didn't do it,' Ariana noted that Noelle had forgotten to put on her mascara.

Ariana knew exactly how Noelle felt, being suspected for something she didn't do.

"I would like to remind students that they would not be allowed off campus for the time being," Cromwell said, and the students groaned before being dismissed. Ariana rushed to Cromwell's office.

"Cromwell, you are going to plant this voice recorder under the table of the interrogation room, or else," Ariana told him.

"Or else?" Cromwell challenged. Ariana took out another voice recorder and pressed play. Cromwell heard his own voice as he accepted the bribe from Ariana and his face flushed red. Ariana pocketed the voice recorder and held out the other for emphasis. Cromwell took it from her hands. Ariana walked towards the door, held it open, stopped, then turned back.

"Give it to me by the end of the day," she said, and banged the door upon leaving, hoping to create some dramatic effect.

Before stepping into class, Ariana checked her cell phone and saw that she had gotten a text form Noelle. Surprised that Noelle would bother to text her while in a sober state, Ariana immediately read the text.

**URGENT. TO ALL BILLINGS GIRLS. Do not ask why. Just obey. If the cops ask u where we were last nite tell them we were all in billings, except cheyenne who had to attend to some business at bradwell. Tell them cheyenne went to see amberley last nite (twice) and they were at our place when the murder happened. Its true, and they cant expel US, of all people for doing so. That includes u, Ariana. U knw what im capable of.**

Why did that sound more like a threat than a request?

Marcus Alberro stepped into the interrogation room. He tried to breathe and stay calm. He still cared for Cassielle. But someone had killed her. On the night of her breakup. To the police, he was just a suspect. He sat on a cold steel chair that he had been provided with. Instead of Mrs. Naylor, Headmaster Cromwell acted as the student counsel. Cromwell, instead of placing the voice recorder under the table, kept it safe in his pocket.

"Marcus Alberro, we understand that you are—were the boyfriend of the murder victim," Detective Haeur said, Marc nodded,

"Where were you on the night of Cassielle Devers murder?"

"I was off campus visiting my sick grandmother," Marc said.

"And the day Cassielle Devers was murdered, you broke up with her?"

"Actually, _she_ broke up with me," Marc corrected.

"Right…, well, we're done for now. We still have the entire student body to interview. We'll call you if we need anything,"

"Sure, whatever,"

Amberley and Marc exchanged nervous glances as they walked past each other, Amberley taking Marc's place in the room.

"So, Amberley, you are Cassielle's…" Detective Haeur said, waiting for Amberley to finish the sentence.

"Roommate,"

And we understand that Cassielle was murdered when you should have been in bed. Both of you. Where were you?"

Amberley swallowed hard and recited what Noelle had told her to say. "Cheyenne came to see me early this morning and I followed her to her dorm. I mean, I had to. We went for a walk and I sprained my ankle and she took me back to Billings. When I felt better I went back to Bradwell and that's how I found Cassielle.

"I see," was all the detective could say. This case was just starting to get interesting. "You may go,"

Ivy was up next. Since she wasn't a Billings Girl, she took no orders form Noelle.

"Where were you, on the night of Cassielle's murder?"

"In my dorm" she replied casually. "All I know is…"

"All you know is?"

"Nah. It's not important,"

"Miss Slade, every bit of information counts. If you refuse to tell us, we can consider you are aiding and abet…"

"Fine. I'll tell you," Ivy said, cutting him off. "But it's no big deal. When Cassielle broke up, I heard one of the Billings girls made a scene out of the originality of the words. I don't know which, I wasn't at breakfast that day. Can I go now? It's like, three weeks till finals. You're disrupting my study time,"

"Yes. You may," Detective Haeur said. So once again an air of murderous mystery filled the high classed corridors of Billings. Detective Haeur decided that he should start from there. And he would start with Cheyenne. When Cheyenne came in, she was with Trey. The two simply could not be separated. They were like the more subtle version of Noelle and Dash.

"Okay. Your friend Amberley told me everything," Detective Haeur said.

"Really?" Cheyenne asked calmly, her expression seeming to be amused at the detective's idiocy.

"Yes, she did,"

"What, that she twisted her ankle and we took her back to Billings?" Cheyenne asked. Trey stifled a laugh.

"And what, Mr. Prescott, do you find so amusing?" the detective asked, annoyed.

"Nothing," Trey said quietly. Detective Haeur sighed. He wasn't getting anywhere. The next Billings girl on his list was none other than Reed Brennan. As Reed entered, she greeted the detective.

"May I know, Reed, which Billings girl made a scene at breakfast yesterday?"

"I don't know," Reed said, her jaw seeming stiff and her eyes tearing up. How could this brute make her betray Noelle?

"Reed," said the detective patiently. "I am inclined to believe that the Billings girls control almost every aspect of this campus, and no one would dare say a word against them except a fellow Billings girl,"

Reed twitched in annoyance. "Detective. You can't expect me to…"

"In your own time, Reed. Whenever you're ready,"

Reed sighed, giving in. "Noelle. It was Noelle . But I swear, she didn't do anything. She was with me the whole night,"

"Okay," the detective said. It was so obvious that Reed was lying to give her friend an alibi. The next person he needed to see was Noelle Lange, the diva of Billings House herself. Noelle did not come alone. Ariana waited outside the room as Noelle was interrogated. Detective Haeur was impressed at the extent of loyalty Noelle spurred in both Reed and Ariana. Actually, Ariana had just come to hear what was going on. If Noelle betrayed her in any way, she would betray Noelle. Unknown to Ariana, Reed had already betrayed Noelle.

"Noelle, good luck," Ariana said to Noelle, her eyes filled with concern.

"Whatever," Noelle said, rolling her eyes. She was back to her old self again, mascara and all. She entered the room to begin her interrogation.

"Were you out of Billings around the time of Cassielle's murder, Miss Lange?" Detective Haeur asked.

"If you want to know, you could always ask our house mother. I don't _do_ interviews,"

"Miss Lange, we need your full cooperation. Where were you?"

"In Billings. Obviously. Where would I be, the Hamptons? I am _so_ sick of that place,"

For a moment a queer look passed the Detective's face. Perhaps it was longing; a longing to go to the Hamptons. Noelle doubted he knew what the Hamptons was. He probably thought it was some beach resort. The poor guy.

"And the scene with Miss Devers earlier that day?"

"Look, it's not my fault if things coincide. I'm not a god, okay? Neither are you so stop acting like one,"

"Noelle—"

"It's Miss Lange to you. And I am done here," Noelle said as she turned to leave, her brown locks flipping flawlessly along with her head. Cromwell made no move to stop her. He, of all people knew that there was no messing with a Lange. Noelle exited the room, all smiles. She was obviously pleased with her work. She had needed someone to shower her snarky responses on, and the police just happened to be the perfect target. Noelle grinned and left Ariana to wonder what the hell was going on.

"Osgood, you're up next," Detective Haeur said. Ariana winced. It was now time for her past to catch up with her. It was time for her interrogation.


End file.
